Conventional containers for storing fuel and the like have been known for many years. Typically, these fuel containers have a closeable mouth for permitting the ingress of fuel, or whatever liquid, into the container, and for permitting subsequent egress of the fuel, or other liquid, from the container. The mouth is closeable by means of a cap that might be either a one piece cap or a two piece cap. Commonly, two piece caps comprise a collar that is also used to retain the removable and replaceable spout in place on the fuel can for dispensing fuel. In order to pour out the liquid from the container, the cap is merely removed from the mouth, and the container is tilted until the mouth is lower than the level of the liquid. Commonly, an air relief opening having its own selectively removable and replaceable cap permits ready airflow into the interior of the container. New environmental regulations are restricting these containers to only one opening.
Containers for storing liquids for transfer are used in many different applications such as for gasoline or other liquid fuels. The containers are filled up with liquid, such as gas, until they are required for use, at which time the liquid must be transferred. When the transfer for use is required, often a pouring nozzle is attached to the opening and the liquid is poured into a receiving receptacle using a funnel seated at the receptacle opening. Sometimes, due to the urgency or simply the lack of materials on hand, no funnel is available to the user, and the liquid is prone to spillage outside of the receiving receptacle. Even with a funnel, the pouring process can be difficult if the funnel is not properly seated. As well, the container, while filled with fluid, has to be lifted by the person pouring. Pouring liquids from these transfer/storage containers can be both awkward and strenuous.
Several attempts have been made in the past to overcome this awkwardness and strenuousness by introducing devices for or with transfer cans to facilitate the transfer from the container to receptacle using conduit delivery means.
Portable fuel containers have been around for a long time and are necessary for transporting and transferring fuel to numerous vehicles and devices such as lawnmowers, snowmobiles, boats, chainsaws, weed trimmers etc. and transferring the fuel between the portable fuel container and the gas tank of these items is typically done by lifting the container and pouring the fuel into the gas tank.
There have been many attempts at providing an alternate means of transferring fuel from one container to another and it has typically involved a pumping apparatus. Previous solutions and current products on the market have predominantly incorporated a manual pump onto a container so as to be usable in remote areas and these pumps have typically been hand pumps where these pumps move small volumes of liquid, which can be easily managed by the hand or arm. These systems are slow tedious processes because these pumps only move small amounts of fluid with every pump stroke by squeezing or turning of the handle, which in turn requires upper body muscular strength and for the operator to be reasonably physical fit to pump large quantities of liquids. An additional, shortcoming in these type of pumps are that hand pumps are inherently awkward and promote an uncomfortable posture and position when pumping from low-lying containers.
One pumping device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,412,528 issued on Jul. 2, 2002 to Alex et al for an invention entitled Siphoning Pump Apparatus. The patent teaches the use of a bellows pump, which is operatively, connected to the portable container with a siphon hose. Upon pumping the liquid can be siphoned from the portable container to the receptacle. This device uses standard siphoning principles for transfer, meaning that the portable container must be elevated above the receptacle for liquid transfer to occur and this relative positioning of the portable container to the receptacle is awkward and not always easily achievable.
Another such device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,834,269 issued on May 30, 1989 to Cone for an invention entitled Liquid Container. This invention teaches the forming of a dispensing outlet uniquely located near the base of the container with a dispensing hose mountable to the container at the opening. Liquid is dispensed from the container through the hose by tilting the container. The location of the dispensing outlet permits the achievement of dispensation by only a slight tilting, but this is an extra physical act which also can be awkward for the user.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,598,955, issued Feb. 4, 1997, to Reilley, discloses a Gasoline Dispensing Container with Safety Feature. This container has a main body and a flexible portion having accordion like folds, angled at one side of the main body. When pressure is applied to that portion of the side of the body adjacent the accordion like folds, pressure within the container increases, and liquid is pumped from the container through a flexible hose. This patent teaches a Gasoline Dispensing Container which is laid over on its side and is designed to be stepped or pressed on. The main disadvantage of this dispensing container is the limited amount of pumping pressure that can be generated. Pressure equals force divided by area where in the force in this container is provided by a persons body weight and the area is the cross sectional area of the container. The larger the container the lower the pressure and the lower the pressure the slower the pumping system will become. A Gasoline Dispensing Container such as this produced in the sizes of a typical fuel container would not provide the adequate flow rate to make transferring fuel convenient or useful in this application.
There is a pumping apparatus product currently available on the market, which utilizes a bellows style air foot pump that is sold to be installed on the majority of existing portable fuel container and works by pumping air into the gas container, pressurizing the gas container in order to move the fuel out. The main disadvantage to this design is that portable fuel containers were not designed for this type of pressurization and this product presents the possibility of over pressurizing the fuel container, which may create a potentially explosive situation.
The disadvantages of the prior art discussed above is that they require a particular placement, promote an awkward disposition or are ineffective and difficult to use.
It is an object of at least some embodiments of the present invention provide a pump means for transferring liquid between containers that can be used with or incorporated into a transfer/storage container which is simple and effective to use.
It is another object of at least some of the embodiments of the present invention provide a pump means for transferring liquid between containers that can be used in conjunction with many of the standard liquid storage/transfer containers presently available on the market.
It is another object of at least some embodiments of the present invention to provide a pump means for transferring liquid between containers that can be used without having to dispose the transfer/storage container above the receptacle to achieve transfer.
It is yet another object of the present invention at least some embodiments of the present invention to provide a liquid transfer/storage container with a pump means providing for the easy and effective transfer of liquid therefrom without the user experiencing any awkwardness nor having to dispose the container at a height above the receptacle into which the liquid is being transferred.
It is another object of the present invention of at least some of the embodiments of the present invention to provide a foot pump to take advantage of the operators potential energy (body weight) and make use of the body's strongest mussels (the leg mussels) in order to operated the system.
It is another object of at least some embodiments of the present invention at least some of the embodiments provide a nozzle that allows for a spout to be removed and exchanged with different types of spouts.
It is another object of at least some of the embodiments of the present invention at least some of the embodiments to provide a comfortable safe upright ergonomic pumping position while pumping and operating the system.
It is another object of at least some embodiments of the present invention of at least some of the embodiments to provide a large pump that pumps large volumes of liquid and increases liquid transfer rate with minimal effort.
It is another object of at least some of the embodiments of the present invention at least some of the embodiments to provide a comfortable safe upright ergonomic pumping position while pumping and operating the system.
It is another object of the present invention at least some of the embodiments conform to environmental regulation on portable fuel containers which require the reduction of vapour emissions and spilling during storage and dispensing. By providing a nozzle with an interchangeable spout the present invention can be easily customized and upgraded with various safety spouts in order to meet these present and new standards.
It is another object of at least some of the embodiments of the present invention to provide to provide a liquid dispensing system that does not rely on siphoning.
It is a further object of at least some embodiments of the present invention at least some of the embodiments provide a liquid dispensing system that does not rely on maintaining an increased internal air pressure in order to dispense liquid.
It is an another object of at least some of the embodiments of the present invention provide a liquid dispensing system that can be used to dispense various types of liquids.